


A Pretty Good Bad Idea

by townie



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, GET IT, I hate myself, Pre-Relationship, Smut to come later, lots of flirting, ”come”
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/townie/pseuds/townie
Summary: Bennett Cadash was not what he had expected at all. The Inquisition’s so-called Herald of Andraste, the ubiquitous symbol of hope for half of Thedas, was a casteless surface dwarf. If there wasn’t a massive hole in the sky that was spitting out demons, it would have been the most outlandish thing he had ever heard.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was going through the notes in my phone when I found this. Since it isn’t total garbo, I’ll publish & update it regularly, since I actually wrote a lot of this. Your basic novelization, featuring my favorite Inquisitor, Bennett Cadash. Also, I didn’t proofread this because I’m a lazy bitch, so excuse any typos.

Bennett Cadash was not what he had expected at all. The Inquisition’s so-called Herald of Andraste, the ubiquitous symbol of hope for half of Thedas, was a casteless surface dwarf. If there wasn’t a massive hole in the sky that was spitting out demons, it would have been the most outlandish thing he had ever heard.

The Inquisition was doing good work, though. Even if it hadn’t been for the Ben-Hassrath’s orders, he would have wanted to align himself with them anyway. The Breach was everyone’s problem, and he was more than okay with backing whoever was working to fix it.

They also seemed to be trying to help out the common folk when they could. That part was more Bennett’s doing that anything else. The dwarf actually seemed fairly indifferent to the politics and power of her position unless it could be used to provide substantial assistance to those suffering. He respected that.

Soon after she hired the Chargers, she brought Bull to the Hinterlands along with Solas and Cassandra. It was there that he truly understood why she had become a symbol of hope despite everything that stood before her. While there was plenty of rift-closing and demon-fighting, she also did things like hunt ram for the refugees and fetch a special potion for a man’s sick wife.

Where her other companions were wary of him, the Herald herself seemed to take to him quickly. She was obviously careful, but they got along well enough that it didn’t feel like he was under constant scrutiny. Besides, if there was anyone who would understand what it was like to be ostracized and distrusted, it was her. In just a few weeks she had gone from the most wanted woman in Thedas to the beloved poster child of the Inquisition. Or, depending on who you talked to, the heretical mastermind behind the destruction of the Chantry. Either way, it was a lot.

Their first real conversation took place a few nights after they arrived in the Hinterlands.

Her training as a rogue enabled her to move almost silently, but he was still able to hear her as she approached him during his watch one night. He had taken first watch, and the camp had been quiet for about an hour when she emerged from the tent she was sharing with Cassandra.

She moved to sit on the other side of the fire, crouching on an overturned log. Her posture was stiff, something made even more apparent by the lack of armor. The reddish light of the dying fire cast odd shadows across her round face, the scars that marked her skin looking far more intense than usual.

“Something bothering you, Boss?” He asked casually, sensing the unease that she felt.

The dwarf picked up a long stick and began stirring at the embers.

“You’re Ben-Hassrath.” It wasn’t a question, though from her tone it was clear that one was soon to follow.

“Is that a problem now?” He replied coolly, watching as she held the stick up, squinting at the white-hot tip as it flickered and then faded away.

“There are a lot of rumors about me,” She said after a moment. “Only some of them are true.”

She poked at the dying flames, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth before setting her jaw. She lifted her eyes to his, her amber irises looking much darker in the low light.

“What do you know about me?”

“I know just about as much as anyone else,” he replied.

“Bullshit,” she said, her low voice almost a laugh as she said it. “There’s no way the Ben-Hassrath haven’t dug up at least a few of the secrets that Josephine is working so hard to hide.”

He shifted in his seat, her sharp eyes watching him as he moved. She was smarter than most gave her credit for. Not that he was really trying to keep any secrets; he wouldn’t have told her that he was a Qunari spy if that was the case.

“Okay, I know a little more,” he admitted. “To be honest though, Boss, we weren’t able to find much. You kept a pretty low profile before the Conclave.”

Something about the way he said it seemed like he was almost impressed, and she felt an odd sense of pride and relief at his words. If the Ben-Hassrath weren’t able to find much, then maybe she wasn’t as screwed as she thought. He was still dancing around the question, though, and she was really just looking for one answer.

“Answer the question, Bull,” she ordered.

“You’re Carta. Former Carta,” he corrected himself. “I’m guessing you don’t work with them now that you’re busy saving the world,” he said drily, studying her face as he spoke. She remained impassive, her features betraying nothing save for the subtle grind of her teeth.

“You’re okay with working with me, knowing that?” She asked, a tinge of uncertainty tainting her words.

For a moment, he saw her as she really was: an unwilling hero who was terrified that the supports around her would come crashing to the ground. She was insecure and afraid of abandonment, and for whatever reason his opinion of her mattered greatly.

“As long as I get paid,” he joked. Bennett scowled at that, the scar running through her right eyebrow pulling with the expression.

“I’m kidding, Boss,” he said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “I don’t care who you were or what you did before. What matters is what you’re doing now.”

She watched him, her eyes narrow and appraising. They sat in silence for a moment, the absence of conversation not uncomfortable. It felt natural enough to just leave each other to their thoughts, the only sounds the crackling fire and chirping crickets.

“You’re doing good work. You’re helping people,” he said, lowering his voice to a sincere murmur. “I know you don’t give a damn about politics, and honestly, I don’t blame you. You’ve got a whole lot of dicks you’re being forced to work with.”

She snorted at that. “I think I am one of those dicks,” she admitted, eyes crinkling with the hint of a smirk.

“Yeah, maybe. But I’ve seen the way you work with the refugees. You’re not perfect, but your heart’s in the right place. That’s more than can be said for most people.”

She gave him an odd look. “Did you just call me a dick?” She asked, a giggle rising in her chest.

He chuckled at that. “Well, shit. I guess that makes me a dick, too.”

They laughed together, careful to stay quiet enough that they wouldn’t disturb the others. Bennett finished with a sigh, some of the tension leaving her shoulders as she exhaled. She stood, brushing dirt from the backs of her legs.

“I should probably try to sleep,” she said, her button nose wrinkling at the thought. “Thanks, Bull.”

“No problem, Boss,” he said, watching her darkening figure as she retreated to the tent she shared with Cassandra.

Bennett Cadash was definitely not what he had expected, but it didn’t seem like that was going to be a bad thing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter about the worst quest in the game. Fuck that druffalo. Also, like, character and relationship development.

One thing that he quickly learned about Bennett was that she had a big heart. Under all the bravado and snark there was a deeply compassionate person who truly wanted to help the people she came in contact with. It was one of her greatest strengths, yet sometimes a terrible weakness.

Like this drufallo. This nug-fucking, bitch-ass druffalo. The stupid beast had wandered away from one of the fields at Redcliffe farms, and Bennett apparently couldn’t bear the thought of the poor thing out in the wild all on its own. As it turned out, the Herald had a soft spot for animals. Never mind that they had just closed a nasty rift; she was going to find that druffalo even if it was the death of her.

No one was going to argue with her. How long could it take, really? It seemed a simple enough task, if not a slight waste of time. Though, for all she was doing for the Inquisition they could humor her small pet project. Besides, it built up a rapport with the people. A positive reputation could make all the difference.

It seemed a solid enough plan: locate the animal and herd it safely back to the pasture. There was a problem, though: druffalo are slow. Really fucking slow. A distance that may have taken their group twenty minutes at most seemed as though it would never end, the druffalo plodding along as they attempted to lead it back to the farm.

It was a frustrating task, but Bennett didn’t crack until they reached the river for the second time that day. There was no bridge to cross it with, and the water was just deep enough that the dwarf was fully soaked up to her hips in the frigid snowmelt. 

“Shit! Fuck me,” she hissed as her footing slipped, the cold water a shock against the sensitive skin of her stomach. She shot a glance back at her companions, frustrated beyond reason to see that the water came up only to their mid-thighs.

“Okay, fuck all of you,” she muttered. She looked to Bull, who was wading through water that barely passed his knees. “Fuck you in particular,” she said with a point of her finger. Sera snickered, a small giggle that grew to a full fledged cackle.

“Ducky’s got her tail wet,” she said between fits of laughter. Bennett had swapped Solas for Sera, a choice that was overall more enjoyable for all of them but resulted in some unwanted nicknames.

“Pay me a bit more and I might carry you, Boss,” Bull said without missing a beat. She glared back at him, her golden eyes betraying the amusement she felt.

After a lot of work and even more expletives they were able to see the druffalo safely back to its rightful home. Bennett informed the farmer herself, accepting the thanks and humbly deflecting the praise. She kept her composure until they returned to the Inquisition camp set up on the outskirts of the farm.

“Fuck me and fuck my tiny legs,” she grumbled as she shucked off her boots, peeling away her soaked woolen socks.

“You did a good thing, Boss,” Bull replied. She snorted, inspecting the blisters that had form on her feet. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you do this yourself? You could have ordered a couple of soldiers to take care of it.”

“What, waste official Inquisition resources to track down a single druffalo? That would have gone well,” she scoffed.

“Technically, you’re an official resource,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but I’m just me. It’s different when you’re ordering someone else around to do the little stuff.” She rubbed absentmindedly at her foot as she stared at the fire. “I wanted to make sure it got done before the poor thing died. Issuing an order would have taken too long.”

She nodded in the direction of the farms. “Those druffalo are that family’s livelihood. A loss that large could have seriously fucked them over,” she said with a scowl.

“You sound upset.”

“Well, yeah. I know what happens to a family when they’ve got nothing left,” she said bitterly. She paused a moment, as though realizing that she had just said more than she intended.

“Besides, I like druffalo,” she sniffed. “They’re cute, in their own way.”

“Enough of that, though,” she said hurriedly, surreptitiously sweeping her comments under the rug.

“I need to get these clothes off, and we don’t know each other well enough for you to see my ass. Not yet, anyway,” she added before turning and disappearing into her tent, leaving him to consider what exactly she had meant by “yet”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be up soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Any comments & tips are appreciated. See you next chapter!!


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